Switch



Nov. 30, 1937.

w. c. EDWARDS 2,100,657

SWITCH Filed March 9, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR L ,za yaw/Ma a 12156324 1 1; ATTORNEW/ Nov. 30, 1937. w. c. EDWARDS SWITCH Filed March 9,1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Mm ("544% Y waavm a 4; ATTORNEY4 PatentedNov. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCH William CorrellEdwards, Anderson, Ind., as-

signor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Micla, a, corporation ofDelaware I Application March 9, 1934, Serial No. 714,789

7 Claims.

main controller switch which will operate in conjunction with thetwo-way switch referred to, to render the two-way switch operative tocontrol the filament circuits of one head lamp only when the main switchis in one of its positions or to render the two-way switch operative tocontrol the filament circuits of both head lamps when the main switchis'in another of its positions. ther object to control the parking lampand tall lamp circuits. 4

A further object is to simplify and thus reduce the cost of manufactureof light circuit switches of this type.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accom-=panying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present inventionis clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a wiring diagram of the lighting circuit embodying thejpresentinvention. In this diagram all of the lights are turned off.

Fig. 2 is a diagram similar to Fig. l showing the parking lights on.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the battery to lamp circuits which areclosed when driving in the country.

Fig. 4 is a diagramshowing the battery to lamp circuits while driving inthe city.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the main lighting switch' shown in the diagram.

Fig. 6 is a view of the lighting switch with the switch terminal blockremoved.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view of the switch taken on the line of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5. a

'Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the switch contact carriage.

In the diagrams, 20 designates a storage battery grounded at 2|. It willbe understood that each of the lamps to be described is grounded. Thebattery 20 is connected with a stationary contact 22 which is connectedwith stationary contacts 23.and 24. In the same row with contacts 23 and24 are contacts 25, 26 and 21. Paralleling this row of contacts is asecond row comprising contacts 28, 29, 30, 3| and 32. Contacts 20, 30and 3| are connected together.

.-'row of contacts includes the contact 22 and the In addition to theseobjects, it is a fur- A third contacts 34 and 35. Contact 33 isconnected with contact 28. Certain contacts of the row including 23 to2] and certain contacts of the rowineluding contacts 28 to 32 areengaged by movable contacts. Three of these movable contacts aredesignated by the small black circles numbered 40, 4| and 42 and areprovided at the apexes of a triangular plate 43. Three other movablecontacts indicated by the solid circles 44, 45 and 46 are provided atthe apexes of a triangular plate 41. Certain contacts of the rowcomprising stationary contacts 22 and 33 and certain contacts of the rowcomprising stationary contacts 34 and 35 are engaged by certain movablecontacts. Three of these movable contacts are indicated at 48, 49 and 50and are provided at the apexes of the triangular plate 5|. Three othercontacts are indicated at 52, 53 and 54 and are provided in the apexes'of the triangular plate 55. By means to be described later all of thetriangular plates 43, 41, 5i and 55 are moved simultaneously in ahorizontal direction into the different positions shown in Figs. 2, 3and 4.

Contact 29 is connected-by wires and SI with tail lamps 62 and 63.Contact 28 is connected by wire 64 leading to wire 65 connectedwith-main filament 66 of head lamp 61. Wire 55 is connected also withcontact 32. Contact 25 is connected by wire 68 with main filament 69 oi.head lamp 10. Contact 21 is connected by wires H and 12' with parkinglamps lamps 81 and 10 respectively are each arranged within the headlamp reflector so as to illuniinate the road a considerable distanceahead of the car. The supplemental filaments 83 and BI of the lamps 61and 10 respectively are arranged to illuminate the road only a shortdistance ahead of the car. In other words, the main filaments 85 and 89give only a slight inclined beam and the supplemental filaments 83 andSi give a considerably inclined beam generally known .as the depressedbeam.

Fig. 1 shows the light circuits in off position.

-It will be noted that the battery is disconnected from all lampcircuits. To turn on the parking lamps the driver moves a switchoperating rod, to be described later, toward the right in the The mainfilaments 66 and 69 of the head drawings so as to bring the movablecontact carrying plates 43, 41, 5i and 55 to the first position shown inFig. 2. In this-position of the contact carrying plates the battery isconnected with the tail lamps 62 and 63 causing them to burn asindicated by the arrows 62a and 63a. The battery is also connected withthe parking lamps 13 and 14 causing them to burn as indicated by thearrows 13a and 14a. By pulling the operating rod further toward theright the movable contacts of the mainlighting switch are moved into theposition shown in Fig. 3 for country driving. It will be noted by theheavy lines in Fig. 3 that the battery is connected with the tail lamps62 and 63 causing them to burn as indicated by the arrows 62a and 63aand with the main filaments 66 and 69 of the head lamps 61 and 10respectively, causing them to produce beams substantially straight aheadas indicated by the arrows 66a and 69a respectively, provided that thecontact 16 of the two-way switch connects the terminal 15 with thecontact 11. The circuits are indicated by heavy solid lines. Whenpassing an approaching car while driving-in the country, the drivermoves the switch contact 16 of the twoway switch into the dotted lineposition 160. shown in Fig. 3 thereby disconnecting the filament 69 ofthe battery and causing the filament 8i to burn and to produce adepressed beam as indicated by the arrow Bio. The circuit to filament BIis indi cated' by the heavy broken line superposed on a lighter solidline. nation of the right hand edge of the road while passing anapproaching car. It will be understood that the two-way switch referredto is one which can be conveniently operated by the foot of the driverand is of the type described and claimed in the patent to Harry E.Norviel, No. 1,798,751 patented March 31, 1931.

Further movement of the operating rod toward the right will cause themovable contacts of the a main lighting switch to be brought into theposition shown in Fig. 4 for city driving. The tail lamps will burn asbefore and also the filaments 66 and 69 of the lamps 61 and 10respectively, the circuits to the tail lamps and filaments 66 and 69 areclearly shown by the heavy lines. However, it is preferable to drive inthe city with only the depressed beams from the head lamps. Therefpre,after operating the main light switch to produce the circuit shown inFig. 4 the operator moves the two-way switch contact member 16 into theposition shown at 16a thereby disconnecting the filaments 63 and 09 fromthe batteryand connecting only the filaments 83 and 8| causing them toproduce depressed beams as indicated by the'dotted arrows 83aand 8Iarespec tively. The circuits to the filaments 83 and 8| are indicated bythe heavy dotted line superposed on a lighter solid line.

Referring to Figs. 5 to 9, a preferred embodiment of the main lightingswitch which heretofore has been described diagrammatically will now bedescribed in detail. The switch comprises a frame or bracket I00 towhich the bottom wall II of a rectangular switch case I02'is attached.The wall IOI is provided with inwardly extending flanges I03 which serveas means for guiding an actuating plate or carriage I04 havingdownwardly extending flanges I05 which bear upon the wall I 0| and spacethe plate I04 therefrom. The plate I04 is provided with a plurality ofvertically projecting fingers or prongs. There are four of these prongsassociated with each of the four movable switch contacts 43, 41, 5I and55 This will give better illumimaking a total of 16 prongs in all. Theprongs associated with the contact plate 43 are numbered I00 and arearranged so as to be received each by a notch provided at the corner ofa contact supporting block I01. The block I01 has a central oblong holeadapted to receive tangs I08 which extend downwardly from and areintegral with the contact plate 43. In a similarfashion the contactplates 41, 5i and 55 are drivingly conpressing upwardly against thenon-conducting plate I II and downwardly against a small ball whichserves as a detent. The bottom wall IOI of the case is provided with aseries of holes I32 into which the ball I'3I is adapted to extend. Alongthe row of holes the frame I00, is provided with a groove to permit theball to extend below the bottom wall IOI The ball I3I and the spring I30 are laterally supported by a bushing I34 which is press-fitted intothe plate I04. The holes I32 are so located that the ball I3I will dropinto one of these holes when the switch contacts .are moved into eitherof the four different positions shown in the wiring diagrams. Thus theswitch contact actuator plate is yieldingly maintained in any of itspositions and the operator can easily tell when the switch is occupyingany of its operating positions.- I

The stationary contacts of this switch which have been referred to inthe diagram are supported by a non-conducting terminal block of theswitchback' I40. One of these contacts, numbered 35 in the diagram asshown in Fig. 8, is formed by the head of a rivet which secures upon theoutside of the Switchback I00, a connector I3! leading to a terminalscrew I32. The other stationary contacts shown in the diagrams areindicated in Fig. 5 by the dotted circles which have been numbered tocorrespond with the wiring diagram.- The terminal I42 is connected withwire 82 of the diagram. The contact 33 is connected by a terminal I33with wire 80. The contact 21 is connected by a terminal I00 with wire H.The contact 26 is connected with contact 33 by strap I35 which isconnected with terminal I03 to which the common terminal 15 of thetwoway switch is connected. Contacts 20, 23 and 22 are connectedtogether by a plate I 01 which is connected with a terminal I48 to whichthe battery 20 is connected. Contact 25 is connected with a terminal M9to which wire 68 is connected. Contact 32 is connected by a terminal I50with wire 65. Contacts 3|, 30 and 23 are connected together by a-strap I5i and are connected by terminal I52 with wire 60. Contact 28 isconnected by terminal I53 with wire 64. The switch terminal block I40 ismaintained upon the upper rim or edges of the four sides of the box I02by a plurality of tangs I60 which extend through notches of the blockI40 and are bent over as indicated at IGI.

The switch is actuated by a knob I10 of nonconducting material moldedupon a rod |1I which passes through abushing I12 extending thru a holeformed in an ear I13 of the bracket I00.

The bushing is held in place by a nut I14 between which and the flangeI15 of the bushing I12 the ear I13 and a lock washer I10 are clamped.The rod is provided with a downwardly bent end I II which extends thru ahole I18 provided in an extension I19 of carriage I04 which is providedwith downwardly bent end I80 having an extension l8l of smaller widththereby providing shoulders I82. The extension IOI is received by a slotI83 in the bracket I00. As the plate I04 is moved along by the knob I10the shoulders I82 engage the upper surface of the bracket I and areyieldingly placed thereagainst due to the fact, that the springs. I30which urge the movable contact plates upwardly also yieldingly press thecarriage I04 downwardly. In order to prevent noises due to vibrationof'the rod III, the carriage I04 carries a leaf spring member I90 fixedat one end by rivets I9I. v This spring I90 is so biased that its freeends press upwardly against the upper side of the rod I'll therebytending to cause the rod to take up any lost motion it may have withinits guiding bushing I12.

It is therefore apparent that a switch of compact and simpleconstruction has been provided for controlling the lamp circuits of anautomotive vehicle. By reason of the present lighting system andcontrolling switches, the problem of controlling the various lightingcircuits for park- .ing, county and city driving has been much forcountry driving the operator pushes the knob in one position. It is easyto remember the parking position since it is one position removed fromthe ofi position. By a simple movement of the two-way switch theoperator can change from straight beams to deflected beams tor countryand city passing.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

. 1. In a switch, the combination of stationary contacts, a plurality ofcontact plates, movable contacts provided by each contact plate, acarriage providing individual guiding means for each contact plate, saidguiding means comprising fingers integral with the carriage and struckout from slots therein to extend substantially parallel therefrom andreceived by notched portions of the contact plates.

2. In a lighting switch, the combination comprising, an open sidedrectangular housing, a dielectric member closing the open side of thehousing and providing, a plurality of rows of terminal contacts, acarriage movable Within the housing and having parallel flanges ridingon the bottom wall of the housing, said bottom wall of the housinghaving inwardly struck ribs providing a pair of parallel guides betweenwhich the carriage slides and by which it is guided, said carriagehaving tongues struck up from the body thereof to: "provide parallelguide-ways, and contact carriers each having a contact plate resilientlysupported each within a group of the carriage tongues.

3. In a lighting switch, thecombination commeans closing the open sideof the housing, terminal contacts insulatedly supported by the housing,a carriage movable within the housing, and guides provided by thehousing directing the movement of the carriage, an extension at one endof the carriage projecting through an aperture in one of the end wallsof the rectangular housing, a bracket fixed to the bottom of the housingand providing an angular extension spaced from the apertured end wall ofthe housing, a control rod mounted for reciprocation in the angularextension and connected with the extension of the carriage, and meanssecured to the carriage and interposed between the carriage extensionand control rod taking I wherein the carriage extension has a rightangular arm projecting through a guide slot in the bracket'extension,the angular arm and bracket slot providing stops limiting thereciprocable movement of the carriage.

5. In a lighting switch, the combination comprising, a housing having abottom wall and surrounding walls, a pair of inwardly projectingparallel ribs in the bottom wall, a contact carriage mounted forreciprocation between the said ribs and having an extension projectingthrough an aperture in the side wall of the housing, and means coupledwith the carriage.

extension without the case for actuating the carriage.

5. In a lighting switch, the combination com-= prising, a housing havinga bottom wall and surrounding walls, a pair of inwardly projectingparallel ribs in the bottom wall, a contact carriage mounted forreciprocation between the said ribs and having an extension projectingthrough an aperture in the side wall of the housing, and means coupledwith the carriage extension without the case for actuating the carriage.said carriage having parallel tongues struck up from the body thereof toprovide guide means for a contact carrier, said guide means beingarranged in groups of four, a stud carried by the carriage andprojecting upwardly and disposed substantially centrally of each of saidgroup of tongues, a contact carrier loosely fitting between. the tonguesoi each group, and a spring encircling the stud and engaging the contactcarrier to normally urge it away from the carriage, said stud forming astop limiting the approach of the contact carrier toward the body of thecarriage.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6, in which the carriage has twoparaliei flanges at its edges fitting between the ribs of the housing,saidcarriage having an extension projecting through an aperture in theside wall of the housing and thence ending in an angular extension, abracket fixed to the bottom wall of the housing and extendingsubstantially parallel with the carriage extension, control meanssupported by the bracket for reciprocating the carriage, and stop meanscomprising a slot in WILLIAM CORREIL EDWARDS.

